(Center) Ms. Martha Lidia Zelayandia, Ambassador to Japan, Republic of El Salvador (Right) Mr. Koichiro Hara, Chairman of Japan-El Salvador Association (Left) Mr. Kunio Okumura, Assistant to Honorary Consul of El Salvador in Japan, “K” Line (on behalf of Mr. Hiroyuki Maekawa, Honorary Consul of El Salvador in Japan)
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” Line) is providing free ocean transportation of three fire engines and two ambulances, donated by Japan Firefighters Association, to the Republic of El Salvador.
As part of its international support programme, the Japanese Firefighters Association has donated fire engines, previously used in Japan, to help with improvements to fire defense systems in developing countries. On this occasion it has donated five vehicles to El Salvador.
Since assuming charge as Honorary Consul of El Salvador since 1969, this is the third opportunity for “K” Line to transport donated vehicles to the country for free; previously in October 2014 and April 2015 it transported 4 vehicles in total.
A departure ceremony was held on October 21, with Ms. Martha Lidia Zelayandia, Ambassador of El Salvador to Japan, and Mr. Koichiro Hara, Chairman of Japan-El Salvador Association, in attendance.
On October 29, with the cooperation of Daito Corporation, an affiliate company of “K” Line, the five vehicles where loaded onto “K” Line’s pure car carrier (PCC) at Yokohama and departed for the port of Acajutla, El Salvador where they will arrive in late November.
This year sees the 80th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between El Salvador and Japan. “K” Line hopes the vehicles it transported may contribute to the reinforcement of fire defense and lifesaving systems in the country and cordial relations between two countries may develop further.